Free valve



H. B. TINKER Aug. 27, 1957 FREE VALVE Filed Aug. 18, 1955 United States Patent FREE VALVE Harold B. Tinker, Richmond Heights, Mo.

Application August 18, 1955, Serial No. 529,190 6 Claims. (Cl. 123-90) This invention relates to free valves, and with regard to certain more specific features, to an adapter for converting ordinary nonrotary poppet valves, such as are used for internal combustion engines and the like, to the socalled free or rotary type.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a simple form of free valve; the provision of an adapter for converting a conventional nonrotary poppet type valve into a free or rotary type; the provision of an adapter of the class described which accomplishes conversion by convenient application of a simple element to a standard form of valves; and the provision of a free valve and adapter of the class described which are economical to produce. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

Fig. l is a vertical section of an internal combustion engine poppet valve illustrating application of one form of the invention, parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical detail section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing a valve-seated condition;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 but showing a valve-lifted condition;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another embodiment of the invention, in which the valve is in seated condition;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 but showing a valve-lifted condition;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an isometric view of an adapter such as shown in Figs. 1-4; and,

Fig. 9 is an isometric view of an adapter such as shown in Figs. 57.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawmgs.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. l-4 and 8, there is shown at numeral 1 part of an internal combustion engine cylinder block having a gas passage 3. Flow of gas through passage 3 is controlled by the lifting and seating of a conventional valve head 5 having a cylindrical valve stem 7 guided in a bushing 9. The valve is biased to seat as shown in Fig. l by a spring 11, reacting from the block 1 against a valve-spring seat "shown in general at numeral 13 and carried on the lower end of the valve stem 7. At numeral 15 is shown the usual cam follower, vertical reciprocating motion of which is efiected by one of the engine cams (not shown). At

ice j numeral 17 is shown at tappet adjustably threaded into the follower 15, suitable clearance 19 being maintained between the tappet and the parts carried upon the lower end of the stem. Thus motion is transmitted from the follower 15 to the valve.

A suitable form of the lower end of a valve stem 7 is shown in Figs. 1-4, wherein it is seen to include two grooves 21. It has been the practice to employ at the lower grooved end of such a stem a pair of segmental gripping jaws 23. Each of these jaws had a conical out side surface 25 and a cylindric inside surface 27, the latter having had inside ridges 29 keying with the grooves 21. In right section the jaws were slightly less than semicircular, so that by squeezing them together a tight wedged grip was obtained between them and the stem. Thus, they were applied toopposite sides of the lower end of the stem 7 with the inside ridges cooperating with the grooves 21. The jaws were squeezed together and against the valve stem 7 by means of a wedging spring seat member 31. This member was constituted by a sleeve 33, the inside surface 35 of which was conical and of the same taper as the outside conical portions 25 of the jaws 23. Thus by first applying the jaws 23 to the valve stem with the ridges 29 in grooves 21 and engaging the surface 35 around them, the jaws could, by axial movement of member 31, be driven radially into wedging engagement with the stem 7.

The spring seat member 31 also included a flange 37, forming a peripheral seat 39 upon which the lower end of spring 11 seated. Thus when the valve stem was installed, the spring 11 was compressed and forced member 31 downward to force the conical jaws 23 into wedging engagement with the lower end 41 of the valve stem 7. This left the lower end 41 of the valve stem extending for engagement by the tappet for valve-opening movement. The result was that the valve could not rotate either when open or closed, because any tendency to rotate the valve when open, in response to gas movement, vibration, etc., would be prevented by reactive torque of the coil spring 11. This will be apparent when it is noted that under the above-stated conditions the lower end of the valve stem 7, jaws 23 and spring seat member 31 were all wedgingly and frictionally locked together and reacted upon by the spring 11, whereby rotation was prevented.

According to the present invention, the valve stem is allowed to be freelyrotary within the jaws 23 when the valve is open, so that under action of swirling gases, vibration, etc, it may rotate while open. This is a desirable condition for even wear and longer valve life. It is provided for by means of an adapter cage or jaw spacer indexed generally by numeral 43 (see Fig. 8). The adapter consists of a one-piece cage formed by means of a lower ring 45 and an upper ring 47. Ring 45 is closed below by means of a cup-forming bottom 49. The inside diameters of the rings 45 and 47 are sufficiently larger than the outside diameter of the stem 7 to allow free rotation between stem 7 and adapter 43 when the latter is applied to the former, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The lower ring 45 is connected to the upper ring 47 by means of splines 51. These splines throughout their lengths are radially thinner than the radial thicknesses of the jaws 23. Accordingly, they are tapered upward; Thus openings 53 are left for the reception of the jaws. The splines themselves do not hug the valve stem and are peripherally thick enough so as to space the jaws an amount to prevent frictional grip of the jaws on the lower end of the valve stem 7. At the same time the inner ridges 29 of the jaws 23 interengage loosely with the grooves 21. Thus when the jaw-constricting mern ber 31 is brought into conical engagement with the jaws 23, theyiare incapable of forming a tight frictional grip with the lower end of the stem 7. There is, however, a loose rotary engagement between the outer margms ofthe grooves 21 and the inside ridges 29. The eccentric clearances, permitting the loose rotary connection will be.apparent from Figs. ,24. p x

Theclesired clearance 19 above tappet 17 is established with regard to the underside of the bottom 49, asshown in Fig. 2. When the tappet 17 rises, it pushes up the adapter43, This pushes up the jaws 23, which rest on the upper margin of thering 45. Since the jaws have theirrinner ridges 29 interengaged with the grooves 21, thevalve stem 7 is lifted. The reactive axial pressure of the spring on member 31 causes cone 35 to be driven againstthe conical outsides ofthe jaws 23. As a result, the -jaws are constrictively pushed together, but since their margins rests upon 'the spacing splines 51, they are prevented from gripping the valve stem 7, which may rotate freely when the valve is open. The only resistance against rotationis the slight friction between the tops of the grooves 21 and ridges 29 resulting from the small weight of the valve when it is open. Thus swirling gases, vibration, etc. may cause. valve rotation during this period. When the tappet 17 descends, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the valve again seats and of course under this condition is not rotary, because its head is gripped by reason of its engagement with the engine block 1. However, during seating, rotation is not required.

In Figs. 5-7 and 9 is shown another form of the invention, applied to a different lower-end valve structure. In this case the valve stem is numbered 55 and has a single wide lower end groove 57. This requires a modified inside shape of the jaws, which in this case are numbered 59. The segmental conical jaws 59 have inwardly extending portions 61 interengaging with the groove 57. Formedly these jaws also had a wedging and gripping engagement with the lower end of the stem 55, brought about by means of a seat member'63 again having a conical interior 65 for gripping the conical outsides 67 of the jaws'59. This again was for the purpose of pushing the jaws inward under bias of thespring 11 which rested upon a seat 69on a flange '71. 'In this case the adapter or cage 43 is formed by an 'open lower ring 73, the 'i'na'rgin of which extends below the lower end 75 of the valve 55' for engagement by the head of the tappet 17. This prevents contact between the tappet and the valve stem. Again the adapter '43 is provided with an upper ring 77 connected with the lower ring 73 by means of splines 79 of radial thickness less than the thickness 'Of the jaws 59 (Fig. "5)janda peripheral width sufiicient tofhold the jaws apart against constrictive inward squeegirig actionby the inner'cone '65'of theniember '63'un'der axial "pressure from, spring 11.

Assenibly andoperation of the Figs. 54 nseam of 'the"inve'ntion will be clear from what hasalre'adybeen stated "in connection with the Figs. 1 4 and 8 form. when the valve is lifted by contact of the tappet 17 with the lower ring 73 of adapter 43,'the small weight of the valve stem 55 (including its head) is carried between the upper shoulder 81 of the groove 57 and the inwardly extending portion 61 of the jaws 59. All other contact between these parts is of a loose nature, in view of the eccentric clearances such as shown in Fig. 7. Hence the valve when open (lifted) may rotate under action of "swirling gases and vibration. It is to be noted that the upper side of the tappet 17 does not contact the lo'w'erend 75 of the valve, so that rotation is not interfered withbythe tappet itself. I r b It will "beunderstoodfthat, although the adapter'43 is designed forlower-endvalve structures having two jaws, u'iringtwo jaw-receiving openings in the adapter between its iower'ana upper rings and separated by two splines, the invention may be carried out for valve constructions having a larger number of jaws, forexample, three, in which event three splines will be used between the lower and upper rings of the adapter to provide three jaw-receiving openings. In any case, the splines should be radially thinner than the radial thickness of the jaws and peripherally wide enough to expand the circle of the jaws so as to prevent frictional clutching action between them and the lower end of the valve stem. Also in any case, the lower ends of the jaws are carried upon the upper. rim of the lower ring of the adapter, so as to transmit axial spring force to the tappet without having this force pass through the lower end of the valve stem by way of the jaws. It was this transmission of the axial spring force to the tappet through the jaws by way of the lower end of the valve stem which, without use of my adapter, caused the frictional clutching action between the jaws and the lower end of the valve stem. It was this frictional clutching action that heretofore prevented the valve stem from rotating when open.

. It will be understood that the cup form of adapter shown in Figs. 14 and 8 may be used with a singlegrooved valve stem and the jaw forms shown in Figs,

5-7. and 9; or, the open bottomed type of adapter shown in Figs. 5-7 and 9 may be used in connection with a multiple-grooved valve stem and the jaw forms shown in Figs. 1-4 and 8 of the drawings, provided in each case that the outside surfaces of the jaws are the same, so as to fitinto the adapter openings.

It will be observed that the peripheral widths of the splines (51 or 79) are sufiicient to prevent the jaws (23 or 59) from gripping the valve stems (7 or 55) while permitting rotatable interdigitation of the ridges ('29 or 61) on the insides of the jaws with the grooves (21 or 57) on the valve stems (7 or 55). Thus while the parts 31, 23, 43 (Figs. l-4 and 8) or parts 63, 59, 43 (Figs. 5-7 and 9) become clutched together under the compressive action of spring 11'and are essentially nonrotary, being connected to the spring, the valve stem 7 or 55 is freely rotary within either assembly of parts, provided the valve'is open. In this connection it should be noted that the loose interdigita-tion is maintained between the ridges 29 and grooves 21 (Figs. 1-4 and 8) or between the ridges 61 and groove 57. Thus the vertical motion of the valve is under constraint of the tappet 17 without interfering with the valve rotation when open.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all-matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I. A free-valve adapter comprising a lower ring,-an upper ring, axialsplines joiningsaid'rings providing spacer means for axially and rotatably receiving a valve stem which has an external groove, said rings and splines defining lateral openings for the reception of inwardly ridged jaws, the peripheral width of said splines being ofan amount to space and prevent the jaws from moving inward sufiiciently to grip the valve'stem while rotatably interdigitating said ridge with the groove.

2. A free-valve adapter made according to claim I, wherein said lower of a cup having ring is in the form a bottom spaced from the lower end of the valve and adapted to engage a lifting tappet.

3. A free-valve adapter made according to claim '1, wherein said lower ring'has an open bottom and is of an axial length sufficient to extend below the lower end-of the valve stem for'engagement with "a lifting tappet.

4. A free-stern valve construction comprising a stern, a cage surrounding its end and having lateral openings, said stem be'iing'freely rotary in the'cage, the cage being engageable with a lifting tappet, jaws in said openings having means rotatably interdigitating with a portion of the stem whereby the stem may be axially moved by the jaws while rotatable relative thereto, means engageable exteriorly with the jaws adapted to force them toward one another, said cage including means adapted to limit the approach of each jaw to another to effect said interdigitation without clamping the jaws to the stem to permit free rotation of the latter.

5. A free-stem valve construction comprising 21 peripherally grooved end on the stern, a cage surrounding said grooved end and having openings adjacent the groove, said stem being freely rotary in the cage, the cage exclusively being engageable with a lifting tappet, jaws in said openings having inward means interdigitating with the groove, internally tapered means axially spring biased and engageable exteriorly with the jaws adapted to bias them toward one another, said cage including means adapted to be engaged by and to limit the radial approach of each jaw to another, whereby a relatively rotary con- 20 dition is maintained between the stem and the jaws.

6. A free-stem valve construction comprising a peripherally grooved end provided on the stem, jaw means having opposite spaced relatively movable parts carrying inward projections for movement toward interdigitation with said grooved end, said jaw means having exteriorly conical surfaces, conical means engageable exteriorly with the jaw means adapted upon axial bias to wedge said relatively movable parts thereof toward one another with interdigitation of said projections with said grooved end, and a holding member located in the space between the relatively movable parts of the jaw means adapted to limit the relatively movement of the parts of the jaw means to said interdigitation without causing the jaw means to grip said stem.

Dilworth Feb. 11, 1936 Kirkpatrick et al May 3, 1955 

